Turbo compression system

ABSTRACT

A turbo compression system comprises a first impeller having a first inlet and a first outlet; a second impeller having a second inlet and a second outlet; a second discharge flow path connected with the second outlet; a first discharge flow path communicating the second discharge flow path with the first outlet; a first valve provided at the first discharge flow path and controlling flowing of the fluid; a second intake flow path connected with the second inlet and selectively making the fluid flow into the second impeller; a second valve provided at one end of the second intake flow path; and a compression flow path connected with the first valve at one end of the compression flow path and connecting with the second intake flow path at the other end of the compression flow path.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a turbo compression system, in detail, the turbo compression system which has plural design points; the characteristics of two-stage turbo compression system and single-stage dual-intake turbo compression system to be selectively converted.

BACKGROUND

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.

Turbo compression system is a system which intakes, compresses and discharges fluids or gases such as refrigerant by the rotation of Impeller installed inside a turbo compressor. Generally, turbo compression system is characterized in that the discharge pressure is relatively high.

For the relative high discharge pressure, the high-speed rotation of the impeller is embodied by a multiplying gear connected with a constant speed motor. However, due to the technical progress of the bearing and the inverter, the impeller has been direct connected with the motor.

On the other hand, Korean Patent No. 0273433 discloses a turbo compression system having two Compressing Devices which efficiently improves cooling effectiveness of motor by activating circulation of refrigerant which flows into a motor and Korean Patent No. 0304562 discloses a turbo compression system which is easy to process and assemble radial supporting means.

However, the conventional turbo compression systems were designed to operate with one design point, that is, best efficiency and high compression ratio were realized at one specified flow rate and one specified pressure.

Therefore, the conventional turbo compression system have a problem that the maximum flow rate under the low compression ratio in comparison with the one design point gets smaller than that of a single-stage dual-intake turbo compression system which has two compressing devices.

SUMMARY

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a turbo compression system having two compressing devices which allows selective conversion between one design point of two-stage turbo compression system for high pressure and the other design point of the single-stage dual-intake turbo compression system for low pressure.

In order to achieve the object, an aspect of a turbo compression system according to the present disclosure comprises a first impeller having a first inlet and a first outlet, compressing fluid flowing in through the first inlet by rotation motion and then discharging out through the first outlet; a second impeller having a second inlet and a second outlet, compressing fluid flowing in through the second inlet by rotation motion and then discharging out through the second outlet; a second discharge flow path connected with the second outlet; a first discharge flow path communicating the second discharge flow path with the first outlet; a first valve provided at the first discharge flow path and controlling flowing of the fluid; a second intake flow path connected with the second inlet and selectively making the fluid flow into the second impeller; a second valve provided at one end of the second intake flow path; and a compression flow path connected with the first valve at one end of the compression flow path and connecting with the second intake flow path at the other end of the compression flow path.

The turbo compression system further may comprise a motor having two rotation shafts provided at one side and the other side of the motor and respectively coupled with the first impeller and the second impeller.

The first valve may selectively convert between a two-stage compression path in which fluid flowing into the first Inlet are compressed and discharged, passing through the first impeller and the second impeller in sequence and a single-stage compression path in which fluids flowing out of the first outlet and the second outlet are joined and discharged.

The second valve may be shut off in case fluid is controlled to flow along with the two-stage compression path, and the second valve may open in case fluid is controlled to flow along with the single-stage compression path.

The first valve may control so as to operate as either two-stage turbo compression system or single-stage turbo compression system by selectively opening or closing.

The first impeller and the second impeller may have same-sized diameter.

The turbo compression system further may comprise a first motor which is connected to the first impeller and rotates the first impeller; and a second motor which is provided separately from the first motor and connected to the second impeller and rotates the second impeller.

The first valve may be provided as a three-way valve which communicates either the second discharge flow path or the compression flow path with the first discharge flow path, and the second valve may be provided further away from the second inlet than a distance from a position joining the compression flow path with the second intake flow path, and is provided as a solenoid valve which opens and closes the second intake flow path.

The first valve may be provided as a three-way valve which communicates either the second discharge flow path or the compression flow path with the first discharge flow path, and the second valve is provided at the coupling site of compression flow path and the second intake flow path and also provided as a three-way valve which communicates the second intake flow path with the compression flow path.

Another aspect of a turbo compression system according to the present disclosure comprises a first impeller having a first inlet and a first outlet, compressing fluid flowing in through the first inlet by rotation motion and then discharging out through the first outlet; a first motor driving the first impeller rotate; a second impeller having a second inlet and a second outlet, compressing fluid flowing in through the second inlet by rotation motion and then discharging out through the second outlet; a second motor provided separately from the first motor and driving the second impeller rotate; a first discharge flow path provided with connection to the first outlet; a second discharge flow path provided with connection to the second outlet, separately from the discharge flow path; a first valve provided at the end of the first discharge flow path; a first compression flow path communicating the first valve with the second discharge flow path; a second compression flow path connected with the first discharge flow path passing through the first valve; a second valve provided at the end of the second compression flow path; a second intake flow path communicating the second valve with the second inlet; and a intake flow path provided separately from the second intake flow path, connected with the second valve, and selectively communicated with the second Inflow Path.

The first valve may selectively convert between a two-stage compression path in which fluid flowing into the first inlet and passing through the first impeller and the second impeller in sequence, are compressed and discharged, and a single-stage compression flow path in which fluid flowing out of the first outlet and the second outlet are joined and discharged.

In case fluid is controlled to flow along with the two-stage compression path, the second valve may be controlled to communicate the second intake flow path with the second compression flow Path, and in case fluid is controlled to flow along with the single-stage compression path, the second valve may be controlled to communicate the second intake flow path with the Inflow path.

The first valve and the second valve are provided as three-way valves.

An aspect of a turbo compression system according to the present disclosure may have advantage to increase the maximum flow rate to be capable of operating at a low pressure region over a two-stage turbo compression system with an equivalent capacity.

Further, an aspect of a turbo compression system according to the present disclosure may have advantage to increase the operating range to be capable of operating with the minimum flow rate at a low pressure region by operating an aspect of a turbo compression system according to the present disclosure at the design point of the two-stage turbo compression system.

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view showing schematically a turbo compression system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a view showing an operating status of the turbo compression system of FIG. 1, which is operated at the design point (D2) of the two-stage turbo compression system for high pressure.

FIG. 3 is a view showing an operating status of the turbo compression system of FIG. 1, which is operated at the design point (D1) of the single-stage dual-intake turbo compression system for low pressure.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a pressure (P)- flow rate (Q) diagram at design points (D1, D2) of the turbo compression system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a view showing schematically a turbo compression system according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a view showing an operating status of the turbo compression system of FIG. 5, which is operated at the design point (D2) of the two-stage turbo compression system for high pressure.

FIG. 7 is a view showing an operating status of the turbo compression system of FIG. 5, which is operated at the design point (D1) of the single-stage dual-intake turbo compression system for low pressure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, various embodiments of a turbo compression system according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

However, the descriptions have been given by the way of an example in limited embodiments for a clear understanding of the technical idea disclosed below. It is not limited thereto, but applicable to the embodiments which can be deduced by those who have conventional knowledge in the field of the art that belongs to the technical idea disclosed below, in advance.

Also, the terms used in the present specification or the claims are concepts that have been selected for convenience of descriptions. Upon grasping the meaning; they are not to be limited to the dictionary meaning, but properly construed on the technical concepts of the present disclosure.

Firstly, a turbo compression system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

FIG. 1 is a view showing schematically a turbo compression system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 2 is a view showing an operating status of the turbo compression system of FIG. 1, which is operated at the design point (D2) of the two-stage turbo compression system for high pressure, and FIG. 3 is a view showing an operating status of the turbo compression system of FIG. 1, which is operated at the design point (D1) of the single-stage dual-intake turbo compression system for low pressure.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a turbo compression system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a first impeller 120 connected at a outlet of the first impeller 120 with a first discharge flow path 121 which is connected to a second discharge flow path 170 with a first valve (130), a second impeller 160 connected to a second intake flow path 151 in which a fluid is flown by a second valve 150 and connected with a second discharge flow path 170 at a outlet of the second impeller 160, a motor 110 driving the first impeller 120 and the second impeller 160, and a compression flow path 141 of which one end is connected to the first valve 130 and the other end is coupled to the second intake flow path 151 at the downstream of the second valve (150).

The first valve 130 is desirable to be provided with a three-way valve and the second valve 150 is desirable to be provided with a solenoid valve.

The first valve 130 and the second valve 150 are provided to be capable of controlling their on/off action. Thereby we may select either an operating at the design point (D2) of two-stage turbo compression system for high pressure or an operating at the design point (D1) of single-stage dual-intake turbo compression system for low pressure. It will be described later in detail referring to FIG. 4.

According to the above-mentioned structure, since the flow path of intake fluid or discharge fluid may be controlled by properly operating the first valve 130 and the second valve 150, the turbo compression system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure may selectively accomplish one of the single-stage dual-intake turbo compression system under low pressure, the two-stage turbo compression system discharging maximum flow rate under high pressure, and the two-stage turbo compression system discharging minimum flow rate under low pressure.

Concretely, as shown in FIG. 2, in case that the second valve 150 is closed and the first valve 130 is controlled to connect the first discharge flow path 121 with the compression flow path 141, the turbo compression system 100 according to the present embodiment operates as the two-stage turbo compression system which can discharge maximum flow rate under high pressure or minimum flow rate under low pressure.

In this cases, after the fluid flowing into the first impeller 120 through a first intake path (i) is firstly compressed by the first impeller 120 (first stage compression), it is secondary compressed by the second impeller 160 (second stage compression) in which the fluid flows through the first discharge flow path 121, the first valve 130, the compression flow path 141 and second intake flow path 151, in a series.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, in case that the second valve 150 is open and the first valve 130 is controlled to connect the first discharge flow path 121 with the second discharge flow path 170 and close the compression flow path 141, the turbo compression system 100 according to the present embodiment operates as the single-stage dual-intake turbo compression system which can discharge the flow rate of design point (D1) under low pressure of design point (D1).

In this cases, the fluid flowing into the first impeller 120 through the first intake path (i) is compressed by the first impeller 120 (single stage compression) and then discharged through the second discharge flow path 170, and the fluid flowing into the second impeller 160 through the second valve 150 is compressed by the second impeller 160 (single stage compression) and then discharged through the second discharge flow path 170.

Additionally, in case that less minimum flow rate is required at the low pressure region, the operating range to be capable of operating with the minimum flow rate at a low pressure region is increased by operating the turbo compression system 100 according to the present embodiment at the design point (D2) of the two-stage turbo compression system.

In detail, it will be described referring to FIG. 4 as follows.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a pressure (P)-flow rate (Q) diagram at design points (D1, D2) of the turbo compression system of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 4, the turbo compression system 100 according to the present embodiment, by properly controlling the operation of the valves 130 and 150, may selectively accomplish one of the two-stage turbo compression system operating at the design point D2 which discharges maximum flow rate under high pressure or discharges minimum flow rate under low pressure, the single-stage dual-intake turbo compression system operating at the design point D1.

That is, the turbo compression system 100 according to the present embodiment may have the characteristics of both the two-stage turbo compression system and the single-stage dual-intake turbo compression system, because of that, the operating range to be capable of operating with the minimum flow rate at a low pressure region may be increased.

In the turbo compression system 100 according to the present embodiment, it is desirable that the first impeller 120 and the second impeller 160 which are driven by single motor have same-sized diameter in order to have the same compression ratio at an equal rotation speed of the motor.

However, in case two motors are used for driving the impellers 120 and 160, the impellers 120 and 160 may have ones with same-sized diameter or ones with different-sized diameter. That's because it is possible to control compression ratio as much as want by controlling motors separately, when using separate motors.

Hereinafter, a turbo compression system according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

FIG. 5 is a view showing schematically a turbo compression system according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 6 is a view showing an operating status of the turbo compression system of FIG. 5, which is operated at the design point (D2) of the two-stage turbo compression system for high pressure, and FIG. 7 is a view showing an operating status of the turbo compression system of FIG. 5, which is operated at the design point (D1) of the single-stage dual-intake turbo compression system for low pressure.

Referring to FIGS. 5 to 7, the turbo compression system 200 according to this embodiment comprises a first impeller 220 connected to a first discharge flow path 232 at its outlet and communicating with a second discharge flow path 270 by passing through a first valve 230 and a first compression flow path 231 in sequence, a first motor 210 driving the first impeller 220, a second impeller 260 connected at its outlet to the second discharge flow path 270 and connected at its inlet to a second intake flow path 243 having a second valve 240 which selectively closes one of the second compression flow path 241 branching off from the second discharge flow path 270 at the first valve 230 and a intake flow path 242 for inflowing fluid to be compressed from outside, and a second motor 250 driving the second impeller 220.

It is desirable that the first valve 230 and the second valve 240 are also provided with a three-way valve.

The turbo compression system 200 according to this embodiment may operate as the two-stage turbo compression system which can discharge maximum flow rate under high pressure or minimum flow rate under low pressure.

For this operation, the first valve 230 is controlled to be connected to the second compression flow path 241, and the second valve 240 is controlled to be shut off so as to prevent from inflowing fluid through the intake flow path and also controlled to flow the fluid passing through the first valve 230 into the second impeller 260.

In this cases, after the fluid flowing into the first impeller 120 through a first intake flow path 221 is firstly compressed by the first impeller 220 (first stage compression), it is secondary compressed by the second impeller 260 (second stage compression) in which the fluid flows through the second compression flow path 241 and then the fluid is discharged through the second discharge flow path 270.

On the other hand, the turbo compression system 100 according to the present embodiment may operate as the single-stage dual-intake turbo compression system which can discharge the flow rate of design point (D1) under low pressure of design point (D1).

For this operation, the first valve 230 is open so as to communicating with the first compression flow path 231 and the second valve 240 is controlled to communicating the intake flow path 241 with the second intake flow path 243 so as to allow the fluid to flow in from outside.

In this cases, the fluid flowing into the first impeller 120 through the first intake flow path 221 is compressed by the first impeller 220 (single stage compression) and then discharged through the second discharge flow path 270, and the fluid flowing into the second impeller 260 through the second valve 250 is compressed by the second impeller 260 (single stage compression) and then discharged through the second discharge flow path 270. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A turbo compression system, comprising: a first impeller having a first inlet and a first outlet, compressing fluid flowing in through the first inlet by rotation motion and then discharging out through the first outlet; a second impeller having a second inlet and a second outlet, compressing fluid flowing in through the second inlet by rotation motion and then discharging out through the second outlet; a second discharge flow path connected with the second outlet; a first discharge flow path communicating the second discharge flow path with the first outlet; a first valve provided at the first discharge flow path and controlling flowing of the fluid; a second intake flow path connected with the second inlet and selectively making the fluid flow into the second impeller; a second valve provided at one end of the second intake flow path; and a compression flow path connected with the first valve at one end of the compression flow path and connecting with the second intake flow path at the other end of the compression flow path.
 2. The turbo compression system as claimed in claim 1, further comprises: a motor having two rotation shafts provided at one side and the other side of the motor and respectively coupled with the first impeller and the second impeller.
 3. The turbo compression system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first valve selectively converts between a two-stage compression path in which fluid flowing into the first Inlet are compressed and discharged, passing through the first impeller and the second impeller in sequence and a single-stage compression path in which fluids flowing out of the first outlet and the second outlet are joined and discharged.
 4. The turbo compression system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the second valve is shut off in case fluid is controlled to flow along with the two-stage compression path, and the second valve opens in case fluid is controlled to flow along with the single-stage compression path.
 5. The turbo compression system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first valve controls so as to operate as either two-stage turbo compression system or single-stage turbo compression system by selectively opening or closing.
 6. The turbo compression system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first impeller and the second impeller have same-sized diameter.
 7. The turbo compression system as claimed in claim 1, further comprises: a first motor which is connected to the first impeller and rotates the first impeller; and a second motor which is provided separately from the first motor and connected to the second impeller and rotates the second impeller.
 8. The turbo compression system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first valve is provided as a three-way valve which communicates either the second discharge flow path or the compression flow path with the first discharge flow path, and the second valve is provided further away from the second inlet than a distance from a position joining the compression flow path with the second intake flow path, and is provided as a solenoid valve which opens and closes the second intake flow path.
 9. The turbo compression system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first valve is provided as a three-way valve which communicates either the second discharge flow path or the compression flow path with the first discharge flow path, and the second valve is provided at the coupling site of compression flow path and the second intake flow path and also provided as a three-way valve which communicates the second intake flow path with the compression flow path.
 10. A turbo compression system, comprising: a first impeller having a first inlet and a first outlet, compressing fluid flowing in through the first inlet by rotation motion and then discharging out through the first outlet; a first motor driving the first impeller rotate; a second impeller having a second inlet and a second outlet, compressing fluid flowing in through the second inlet by rotation motion and then discharging out through the second outlet; a second motor provided separately from the first motor and driving the second impeller rotate; a first discharge flow path provided with connection to the first outlet; a second discharge flow path provided with connection to the second outlet, separately from the discharge flow path; a first valve provided at the end of the first discharge flow path; a first compression flow path communicating the first valve with the second discharge flow path; a second compression flow path connected with the first discharge flow path passing through the first valve; a second valve provided at the end of the second compression flow path; a second intake flow path communicating the second valve with the second inlet; and a intake flow path provided separately from the second intake flow path, connected with the second valve, and selectively communicated with the second Inflow Path.
 11. The turbo compression system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first valve selectively converts between a two-stage compression path in which fluid flowing into the first inlet and passing through the first impeller and the second impeller in sequence, are compressed and discharged, and a single-stage compression flow path in which fluid flowing out of the first outlet and the second outlet are joined and discharged.
 12. The turbo compression system as claimed in claim 11, wherein in case fluid is controlled to flow along with the two-stage compression path, the second valve is controlled to communicate the second intake flow path with the second compression flow Path, and in case fluid is controlled to flow along with the single-stage compression path, the second valve is controlled to communicate the second intake flow path with the inflow path.
 13. The turbo compression system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first valve and the second valve are provided as three-way valves. 